Sheryl+Cottone


 * SUMMARY: Sheryl Cottone, age 23, died on July 1, 1981 after a legal first-trimester abortion performed in Iowa. **

Sheryl Lynn Cottone was 23 years old when she underwent a first trimester abortion in June of 1981.

She was rushed to Veteran's Memorial Hospital in Waukon, Iowa, on July 1. She was pronounced dead on arrival.

An autopsy found that she had died from an embolism that lodged in her heart.

ADDENDUM:

The following comment was left on a RealChoice blog post regarding Sheryl's death. Until I have permission to use her name, I will refer to the author as "Lauren."

listen, Sheryl was my mom. She died because of clot that formed after she had an abortion. The Dr. Said it would of killed her to have the baby. She really wanted another baby. However, she wanted to be there for the 3 kids she already had. She formed a clot due to have C Factor V Liden mutation, meaning blood prone to clots. Back in 83 they didn't know or have much information on this condition. She just might of saved my life. I now know I have same condition and can take medical precaution with surgeries, etc....

According to the Mayo Clinic website, Factor V Leiden (pronounced FAK-tur 5 LIDE-n) is a genetic mutation of one of the proteins in the blood that makes it clot properly. People with this disorder are at an increased risk of developing clots inside their blood vessels, usually in the veins. Women are at increased risk of developing blood clots while pregnant or when taking estrogen. Blood thinners can be prescribed to reduce the risk of these clots and to possibly lessen the damage caused by any clots that do develop.

If you have factor V Leiden and have developed blood clots, anticoagulant medications can lessen your risk of developing additional blood clots and help you avoid potentially serious complications. Fortunately, as Lauren pointed out, treatment options for pregnant women with Factor V Leiden are far better now than they were when Sheryl faced her difficult decision. The MayoClinic site notes:

> > .... There's no evidence that preventive treatment with blood-thinning medications would be effective enough to outweigh the potential risks of using these drugs during pregnancy or delivery.
 * Pregnancy complications. Most women with factor V Leiden have normal pregnancies. But the mutation has been linked with an increased risk of miscarriage and possibly other complications during pregnancy, including pregnancy-induced high blood pressure (preeclampsia), slow fetal growth and early separation of the placenta from the uterine wall (placental abruption). If you're a pregnant woman with factor V Leiden, be sure your doctor monitors you carefully throughout your pregnancy.

I am very grateful to Lauren for sharing her story, and have invited her, if she chooses, to share more.

Source: Iowa Death Certificate 81-013385

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